heavy is the crown

Hadrian hated going to Potter Manor in the summer. 

For one, the manor itself was depressing and always dusty, and it was always harder to sneak out at night compared to anywhere else Hadrian had ever stayed at. 

It was part of the custody agreement his father had with his mother, so alas, Hadrian was forced along between both houses every time he came from Hogwarts till he turned eighteen; or so his mother says. 

Hadrian will have to make due with her words for now. To the great disappointment of Rita Skeeter and every other gossip rag reporter, the custody agreement of James Potter and Amalthea Black's only son was done behind closed doors, unlike the divorce fight that had happened in Diagon Alley. So Hadrian's resources for information were severely limited, especially as Uncle Barty did not know shit; in his own words. 

"Your father wants to talk to you," was what Lily Potter chose to tell him when she picked him and his siblings from the Hogwarts train station, once the twins had gotten over saying goodbye to their numerous friends and social circles (though that part was more Hailey and less Charlie). 

Hadrian, personally, already had plans to stay at Draco's, along with Blaise and Theo, so he didn't really have to say anything as the group was guaranteed to spend at least a week with the Malfoy Heir while his parents were off touring France. 

Or Spain, or Germany, or any other country the Malfoy Lord and Lady fancied at the time; for all Hadrian knew the two may as well have been somewhere in Asia. 

Though, in all fairness, Hadrian usually stayed over at Draco's for an average of four weeks every summer. Excluding all the odd days he snuck out to whatever manor they decided to hang out in or all the days they snuck over to him.

"What happened to hello and how-are-you?" Hadrian had asked back, already shrinking his trunk and waiting for the woman to finish greeting her children. 

Except Lily didn't respond to him back then, not really. In hindsight, she may have thought the issue to be as ridiculous as Hadrian now knew it was. But Lily Potter of the past had just rolled her eyes and said, "Be sure to meet him when we get home."

Ominous, Hadrian thought, wishing Draco was here and not on the other side of the platform, so they could share a laugh over the ominous joke, and so Hadrian had a shield for whatever his father wanted of him now. 

Hadrian did not go to his father's study when he came home. He ate in the kitchen to avoid the family (though Charlie and Hailey really had nothing to deal with this, he just had no energy to deal with them), did too much by going to his room by jumping out from the kitchen and walking outside the manor, around it, to finally reach his bedroom window on the other side and climb up then jumping in the window he always kept unlocked for times like this. 

In hindsight, Hadrian may have done a bit too much. 

He lazed around on his beloved, dearly missed bed, in a peaceful state of being half asleep and half-aware, up until one of the house elves interrupted him. 

"Lord be asking for you heir," the elf had said, proceeding to shake him when Hadrian decided to play deaf, and urge him to head along urgently. 

"Quickly!" the elf squeaked, almost in a scolding, "Lord Potter be waiting!" it continued, having won the battle of making Hadrian get up and go find out what he was being summoned for. 

"I hear you're staying with that Malfoy boy during the school breaks," James Potter said, making Hadrian wonder, for the second time that day, what happened to hello and how are you. 

He kept that thought to himself though. 

"He's my cousin," Hadrian reminded him, "and I've known him and his parents since I was four," he continued. 

"Regardless," his father started like what Hadrian said had no importance, "it wouldn't be good to continue associating with that boy," he said, finally putting down the papers he was occupied with ever since Hadrian had entered. 

"We literally sleep in the same room for nine months a year," Hadrian responded, "What am I supposed to do? Get a resorting?" 

The question was rhetorical, so obviously he did not expect an answer. 

Hadrian received an answer. 

"We can always get you a resorting if that's what it takes," the man continued, "Albus would be undoubtedly happy to have you sorted again."

Hadrian would have laughed, had it not been so ridiculous. This was what his father wanted him for? After what was basically years of not having a conversation he orders one because of a cousin he had been friends with his entire life?

"I've been a Slytherin all my life," Hadrian said, more to himself than his father. 

"And I acknowledge that you'll end up no Gryffindor, But really, Hadrisn, the sooner you're out of that house the better."

"Your wife was from that house," Hadrian snarled at him, forgetting for one critical moment that his core emotion was anger; like it wasn't the point of having a core emotion. 

"My former wife," his father corrected, staring down at Hadrian like he was one of the criminals he caught and convicted. 

(Hadrian had always found it unfair how his father would catch criminals and then be a voting member of their trials. It screamed corruption, but Hadrian supposed it was neither the time nor place for such thoughts.)

"Alright," Hadrian conceded, "but she's still my mother and Draco is still my cousin."

"With how attached you are to them," his father started, "you may as well just never leave."

"You say that as though I am not your son," Hadrian calmly stated, ignoring the way the Black side of his magical inheritance was surging with powder due to his anger. 

"You say that as though you behave as a part of this family. You're never home, have always preferred to keep to yourself, and you barely look like me."

"That sounds like you don't believe I'm your son."

"Are you?"

And well, who would have a response to that? Hadrian didn't, he didn't think any child would, or could, have responded to that. Whatever Hadrian could have said, regardless, back at his father was drowned out by the noise.

It appears the dark lord began to move, Hadrain thought, starting to feel the nauasua hit him, brain muted by shock and magic kept tightly coiled to his skin; half relieved at what he had just avoided by sheer dumb luck. 

"We'll continue this later," the head auror had said, because he wasn't his father, not really, grabbing a protective coat he always wore on duty and apparated out to join, or begin, fighting. 

When a father rejects his child, the very fabric of the family's magic often   reacted with a fierce intensity. Hailey understood this, she understoof it quite well, which is why she slowly stepped back from the door to her father's office in horror; ignoring how her heart raced like the threat was aimed at her. 

Hailey was almost thankful that the wards allowed her father to apparate directly out, as she would have been caught eavesdropping had he chosen to walk to the gates instead.

For one selfish moment, Hailey felt a strange sense of gratitude that the Dark Lord was such a significant threat.

"Charlie," Hailey hissed to her brother's sleeping form, "Wake up you dolt!"

"What," Charlie had snapped at her, harshly, his black sword fully formed in his hand. 

"Bad news or worser news?" Hailey asked him, uncharacteristic nervousness in her voice.

Charlie groaned at that, falling back into his bed and covering his eyes, "Just go with whatever," he responded, dissipating the blade he had formed. 

"So Hadrian almost got disowned-" 

"-What-"

"-but the dark lord started attacking the manor so like it didn't happen yet."

"Are you sure?" Charlie asked her, getting up to sit on his bed. 

Hailey nodded at him, "Father said that he wasn't sure if Rian was, is, his son and I swear to Morgana I almost felt the family magicks move in response."

"No, you dolt," Charlie snapped at her, "the Dark Lord you idiot, is he sieging the manor?" he asked, getting up and beginning to throw some of his stuff in a bag their mother had bought for them when they were doing their Hogwarts shopping.

"Oh that," Hailey said, "yeah your room is warded against sound but once we leave it will start sounding a bit more dire."

"And what are you waiting for then?" Charlie asked her, one hand on the doorknob and the other steadying the bag on his shoulders. 

Hailey blinked, she could've sworn not enough time had passed for him to have gotten ready while she was still on the bed, but regardless, she scrambled down and prepared to follow him.